Hello from the other side
by tess01jan01
Summary: Regina knew it was the only way to save Emma. There was only one way to defeat the darkness, only one way to break the spell... Season 5.


**Hello From The Other Side – Part 1**

* * *

 _It's no secret that the both of us_

 _Are running out of time_

* * *

Regina had no idea how long she'd been sitting on her bed, no idea how long she'd been stuck between these four walls. She only knew her head throbbed and her body had grown numb, constantly stricken with a sense of exhaustion from trying to escape it.

Then she would surrender and float for a long time until the panic returned. This pattern repeated itself a hundred times, a thousand, until she lost track of time. Had she been imprisoned in this halfway place for days, weeks, months?

Her hands fluttered, helpless, hopeless, as if trying to catch an answer she couldn't grasp. She wasn't certain what she'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been this. She'd already said her goodbyes, she had already come to terms with the fact that she would never see her loved ones again in this lifetime.

She closed her eyes and vividly recalled her last moment on earth, at least that's what she assumed it was. Walking down Main Street, her friends and _family_ following in her wake, as their chatting and laughter filled the air. Oblivious to what was about to happen. On their way to a dinner that would never take place..

She remembered how her eyes began to dart left and right as she took in her surroundings, the buildings her mind created. A town that had finally brought her the happiness she sought, after so many miserable years.

During the last year, she felt a happiness she never thought possible. She desperately wanted to stay in that place, that state of mind of wholeness and completeness. But the first cracks in her happiness had started to appear when Robin choose Zelena, and their unborn child, over her.

She knew he still loved her, but ever since that day, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't enough for her. And that she wasn't enough for him. But they were supposed to be together, weren't they?

And when Emma sacrificed her own happiness for hers, and for the sake of her family, her entire world seemed off balance. _Wrong._ She was so lost, so distressed, so horrified and feeling so very, very guilty.

It changed her whole view of the world, her whole view of _Emma_. It seemed unreal that she would care enough to do something like that..

From that day on she vowed to save the Savior, to _be_ the Savior, no matter the consequences. She realized the irony of the situation, now, their roles were completely reversed. A woman who once destroyed everyone's chance at happiness, now willingly gave up her own for the sake of someone else.

She called on her magic one last time, spreading through her body with untold strength. With one smooth, elegant, powerful movement, everyone around her froze. Their eyes wide open and shock frozen on their faces. A billion tiny sparks of violet magic vanishing into thin air.

Her eyes locked with Emma's. It was just for a second, but she felt a strange sensation as the blonde's gaze bore into her, pleading her for something she couldn't comprehend. She knew if she told the blonde she was doing it to save her she would never allow it. _But she knew._ Emma knew exactly what she was doing. That unspoken way that they communicated with each other revealed everything.

She pulled the dagger from her purse, hearing the gasps around her. Her face scrunched in concentration, her eyes narrowed, her fingers clutching the handle firmly. Whispering strange words, she focused a deadly spell upon the dagger. Waiting for the essence of its power to fill her, feeling the river of energy pumping through her veins.

There was no deviation, no hesitation, in her movements as she lifted the dagger high above her head. Her eyes started to glow a bright purple as she kept speaking those words that no one could understand. Her hands shaking violently, the blade glowing dangerously.

She knew it was the only way to save Emma. There was only one way to defeat the darkness, _only one way to break the spell…_

When it became clear that the curse had reached too deep inside the blonde, drawn into the darkness she wouldn't be able to control, they realized that they were running out of time. It was time for desperate measures.

Without anyone's knowledge, she had reached out to Merlin one last time. Despite her own fierce pride, she'd begged him to help her.

A person was obligated to give his or her life in exchange. Immediately and intuitively she realized it had to be her. Merlin had explained to her exactly the manner in which she intended to proceed. And although the thought of leaving them all behind terrified her, the thought of failing Emma terrified her much, much more. After all these months of trying, _of failing_ , she could finally succeed at something.

Her eyes flickered around once more, as she seemed to look deeply into each person that her eyes rested on. _Snow, Charming, Zelena, Hook, Belle, Robin, Roland, Emma, Henry…_

Seeing their fear and seeing past it, absorbing the depth of love and hope that had gone into the space around them, her body tingling inside out.

Her soulmate Robin was staring at her with wide eyes, filled with shock and anger. But most of all, with a heartbreaking sadness. Unable to move, frozen in place, trapped in a magical grip. _Unable to stop her.._

"Regina!" Emma's heart wrenching cry pierced through the overcharged air, as she tried to free herself, but powerless in the grasp of the invincible antagonist. "No!"

Emotions she hadn't thought she owned boiled up out of her stomach and threatened to shut off her throat.

"You were wrong.." she breathed, her eyes still locked with the blonde's. "I _can_ be your Savior.."

The blonde screamed, begging her to stop, her eyes shining with tears. But she knew she had to do it. _She had to_ …

A single tear rolled down her cheek and over her chin. She looked into Henry's eyes once again, searching his face as if trying to keep the memory of him forever with her.

"Forgive me.." she whispered.

She thought she endured the worst part of her action, but it was nothing compared to this. Witnessing her son's beautiful face so contorted with pain, sadness and utter love. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to break something and see it shatter in a million pieces, the way her heart was breaking now.

The cold darkness enveloped her, demanding her immediate surrender. She felt herself floating away. But she wasn't alone there in the darkness , she couldn't see them, but she knew they were there. She could hear their desperate cries first before she simply let go, slip into a cold oblivion, be free from all the pain and suffering. _Just free…_

 _But it was a lie._ Suddenly, the pulsing blackness around her stopped. She fell to the ground, her bloodied hands stretched out in front of her. Blinking her eyes in horror, as she became part of the earth around her. She became the color of air and nothingness, invisible to the human eye.

 _Is this it? Am I dead?_

She lifted her head and looked from one loved one to the next, finally stopping on Emma's face. She was looking directly at her, but the blonde seemed to look straight through her as if she wasn't there. Tears were running down the Sheriff's pale face as she rocked herself back and forth. She didn't even seem to notice the Pirate, as he wrapped her in his arms.

She had no idea when the pain would come, or from where. She took many lives, but she never once stopped to consider how it would feel to die. Was she supposed to disappear into thin air? Would she end up in heaven or hell? _Would it hurt?_

Her eyelids drooped and the last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness were those over bright emerald eyes, finally freed from the dullness and impassiveness.

 _Unlike her, Emma was finally free.._

She'd not once regretted her decision. She always knew the tremendous cost that would be demanded, nothing of a magical nature ever came free. A price was always paid to keep the balance and discourage to the abuse of power.

But she never realized that she would pay interest, probably a result from the overuse in her past. A price that tore her apart, as she found herself trapped between two worlds and unsure how to break them apart again.

Stuck in Storybrooke, able to see her loved ones, but unable to communicate with them.

* * *

 _Hello, how are you?_

 _It's so typical of me to talk about myself, I'm sorry_

 _I hope that you are well_

* * *

She must have dozed off because she was woken by a body sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. She flinched back as her hand shot out, already summoning her magic to protect herself. But nothing happened, there was no magic inside her to respond.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she caught sight of the thick golden locks that fell over the woman's shoulders and the hideous red leather jacket she secretly adored.

"Emma.." she breathed, appalled to find herself close to tears.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand to touch the blonde's hair, unable to suppress the sudden urge to feel the softness of her locks. Some imaginary pull she couldn't quite decipher. _But she felt nothing._ Reality once again flooding her mind.

She was taken aback for a second, her eyes frantically darting between her hand and the golden tresses that remained untouched, when Emma exhaled a deep, shaky sigh. She crawled to the edge of the bed and turned to look at the blonde. Taking in the dark shadows under her eyes, the slump of her delicate shoulders.

She stared down at Emma's hands, which were clutching a piece of clothing. Quickly recognizing her own black leather jacket. It wasn't the way she carefully lifted the coat, or the way the blonde's hands trembled in its wake, but it was the way her eyes shone with tears as she cradled it tightly against her chest. Her movements jerky, almost nervously.

"Why did you do it, Regina?" Emma's soft voice broke the silence, her eyes fluttering closed.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. I promised you to help you find _your_ happy ending… And I always keep my promises. But I failed you.."

"Emma…" Regina gasped, unconsciously moving closer.

A wave of tenderness washed over her, she looked so small, so vulnerable. Fighting the urge to reach out a hand to comfort her.

"Henry misses you.. He's trying to be brave. But he shouldn't, he should act like a child, he should scream or cry and throw a tantrum. I feel like I'm losing him too… He's been closing himself off. To everyone.."

Emma's voice broke and she stifled a sob. "I suppose he gets that from us, right?"

Regina breathlessly watched the blonde's face, as Emma smiled a heartbreaking , sad smile. Emotions bubbled in her heart, emotions she had thought she would never feel again.

"I was wrong, Regina.. You _did_ have it in you.." Emma softly continued, clutching the coat even tighter, as her eyes lifted skyward.

"You _are_ the Savior. And I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry I let you believe that I didn't have faith in you…"

* * *

NOTE: Thank you so much for reading this story! English isn't my native language, and I hope you will bear with me (and the inevitable errors). Please let me know if this story is worth a shot. Lyrics: Adele-Hello


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